Alaska’s Beaufort and Chukchi seas teem with an incredible array of wildlife, and are home to imperiled creatures such as polar bears, bowhead whales and spectacled eiders. But despite the importance and fragility of this region, Shell Oil plans to drill five offshore wells during the summer of 2011. A spill in Arctic waters would be devastating, as cleanup technology for the region doesn’t even exist.
Shell argues that its drilling will occur under very different circumstances than the Deepwater Horizon because the water depth is less than 200 feet. But (as the 10-week long oil spill in Australia’s Timor Sea last summer demonstrated) there is nothing safe about drilling in shallow water, especially in the Arctic’s rough, icy conditions.
Wildlife & Wild Places
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